A study of self-perception and communication success as perceived by adolescents with cochlear implants and their significant others

Abstract

Objectives

The objectives of this prospective, cross-sectional study were to compare self-perception and communication-success ratings of adolescents with cochlear implant (AWCI) and their caregivers (C-AWCI) and to explore associations with age at CI, implant age, and chronological age.

Method

Fourteen CI centers across India participated. The Think About it Quiz (TAIQ), Self Assessment of Communication-Adolescent (SAC-A), and Significant Other Assessment of Communication-Adolescent (SOAC-A) were translated into five languages. Data were collected from 173 AWCI aged 10;0–19;6 years and an associated caregiver for each participant.

Results

On the TAIQ, self-ratings by AWCI were significantly lower than the ratings by C-AWCI. Peer acceptance correlated with athletic competence for both groups. For the SAC-A versus SOAC-A, there was no significant difference between AWCI and C-AWCI ratings. Except for a negative correlation between peer-acceptance and chronological age for caregiver ratings, no other associations were found between any other ratings and age at CI, implant age, and chronological age.

Conclusions

Caregiver judgments of their adolescents with CI were not in equal agreement with self-ratings by the adolescents across various aspects of performance. Caregivers appeared to underestimate the self-perception issues faced by adolescents with CI but had excellent agreement with their adolescents’ self-rating of communication success. The inclusion of activities to improve children’s participation in sports could possibly improve peer acceptance.

Keywords:

• Implant age
• Think About it Quiz
• Self Assessment of Communication-Adolescent
• Significant Other Assessment of Communication-Adolescent
• Adolescent with cochlear implant
• Caregivers of adolescents with cochlear implant

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Anuradha R. Bantwal

Anuradha R. Bantwal, M.Sc. (A & SR) has 17 years of experience with CI.

Rashmi Deshpande

Rashmi Deshpande, M.Sc. (A & SR) has 17 years of experience with CI.

Rewa Indurkar

Rewa Indurkar, MASLP, has 11 years of experience in CI.

Salaj Bhatnagar

Salaj Bhatnagar, MASLP has 20 years of experience with CI.

Meenakshi Wadhera

Meenakshi Wadhera, B.Sc. (Sp. & Hg.), has 20 years of experience with CI.

Aditya Sridhara

Aditya Sridhara, BASLP, has 14 years of experience with CI.

Neera Lalwani

Neera Lalwani B. A. (Psychology); B.Ed. (H.I.), Post Graduate Certificate in Auditory Verbal Therapy; M.A. in School Counselling has 8 years of experience in CI.

Asha Agarwal

Asha Agarwal, B.Sc. (AST), has 20 years of experience with CI.

Ramesh K. Oza

Ramesh K. Oza, B, A. (Adv. Psychology) OTD. M.A., has 19 years of experience in CI.

Neevita Narayan

Neevita Narayan, B.Sc. (Sp. & Hg.), MBA has 20 years of experience with CI.

P. Sasidharan

Sasidharan P., M.Sc. (Sp. & Hg.), has 19 years of experience in CI.

B. Mallikarjun

B. Mallikarjun, M.Sc. (Sp. & Hg.), PhD has 21 years of experience in CI.

Chandan Saha

Chandan Saha M.Sc. (Sp. & Hg.), AuD has 18 years of experience in CI.

Priya Bhale

Priya Bhale, M.Sc. (Sp. & Hg.), has 15 years of experience in CI.

Shweta Deshpande

Shweta Deshpande, MASLP, has 13 years of experience in CI.

Kalyani Mandke

Kalyani Mandke, PhD, AuD, CCC-A., has 22 years of experience in CI.